kay

Caltech has been a rough adjustment. Everybody is so different, it's wildly expensive, he barely knows where anything is and most importantly? The weather is horrid. By Jersey standards that is. At least the school aspect has been easy.

He's finished all his work for the week and now he just needs to finish his Humanities paper. Ready to do some hardcore Googling, he sees news on his sidebar: " Heavy Snow Blankets New Jersey, More May Be On The Way" .

That can't be good.

BRUNO: Hey

BRUNO: I heard there was a snowstorm in Jersey??

BRUNO: You guys ok?

KAMALA: Hii

KAMALA: Yep

KAMALA: Have to stay inside all day 😕

BRUNO: Not a problem though for you

KAMALA: Can you shut up 🙄

KAMALA: How's the weather California boy 

BRUNO: I'm here for 3 months and I'm already "California boy"?

BRUNO: Anyway

BRUNO: Not used to it, it's 67 over here??*

*19 degrees Celsius.

BRUNO: I miss my 40s

BRUNO: You think Thor can make it rain over here for me?

KAMALA: Probably too busy playing Fortnite

BRUNO: You still stand by that theory?

KAMALA: THERE'S SO MUCH EVIDENCE POINTING TOWARDS IT??

BRUNO: Sure thing conspiracy theorist

KAMALA: Grr

KAMALA: I'm very much freezing

KAMALA: Ammi refuses to turn on the heating all the way because we can just "wear more layers"

BRUNO: Classic Mrs. Khan!

BRUNO: If I was there, I'd warm you up

….

What?

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kamala mutters to herself.

Ironically, a similar thing is said 2,886 miles away.

"What did I mean by that?" Bruno mutters to himself. He quickly tries to remedy the situation.

BRUNO: Ik how to make an effective heater with an electric fan and lots of copper wire 

"OH! Oh, okay.." Kamala murmurs, slightly disappointed although she can't pinpoint why she is. 

KAMALA: Dang where's our token white boy when we need him 

BRUNO: 😐

Suddenly, Bruno hears his name get called by his roommate, Kwezi. "Yankee Doodle, we're going to go put 'snow' all over the Blacker house, wanna come?" The roommate says, accompanied by their other friend Michelle. 

"We borrowed the huge snow machine." She says excitedly.

The paper can probably wait. But he would never leave Kamala hanging.

BRUNO: Ok apparently we're going to go put fake snow over one of the dorms

BRUNO: Payback for replacing our vending machine food with carrots

BRUNO: I'll ttyl?

KAMALA: You are really living the life over there B

KAMALA: Ttyl!

KAMALA: Don't have too much fun over there we miss you

She wants to say "I miss you" but that's too bold for the girl.

BRUNO: Sure thing :)

BRUNO: Byee

KAMALA: Bye :D 

It was a Friday afternoon when Kamala received a call from her best friend's nonna. "Nonna! Hope you're doing well. What're you calling for?" Kamala asked. She knew that it had to be somewhat serious if his nonna called her.

"Ahh, Kamala. Mio nipote.." Which meant 'my grandson' in Italian; Kamala thanked context clues. "Bruno is done with wisdom tooth surgery. I can not pick him up. Can your parents pick him up and bring him to our home, please?" Bruno's nonna asked. The Khans would help her in a heartbeat, but her parents were out for the day, and Aamir was with Tyesha.

She didn't want to say no to Bruno's nonna. "Don't worry, I can drive him home," Kamala replied. "Grazie, my dear Kamala!" Bruno's nonna said excitedly. She proceeded to give Kamala the details of where the dentist was.

When she arrived, he was slurring his words and laughing uncontrollably. Kamala could hardly understand what he was saying. She put his arm around her and dragged him to the car.

"How're you doing, Bruno?" Kamala asked, trying to stifle her laughter.

"My mouth is gooone," Bruno drawled. He had a cast around his head and cotton in his mouth. She couldn't help but feel bad, but this was just too funny for the girl. "Can we taalk? Pleaseee?" 

Kamala chuckled. "Sure, what do you want to talk about?"

"I just wanted to ask you something," Bruno said, his voice & face becoming serious but still evident that he was not thinking straight.

"What is it?" Kamala asked, slightly concerned. She knew it was probably nothing to worry about, but she had never heard him this serious (loopy or not).

"You kept the secret a-boot Kamala, right?" Bruno asked. At least he still ensured her being a superhero was kept under wraps, even while drugged. Also, was he turning Canadian?

"Yes, Bruno. The secret about Kamala is safe and sound." Kamala said as she opened the door and settled him into her front seat. She fastened the seatbelt over him. 

"Wooow, so secure!" Bruno said. It would've come across as sarcastic from anyone else, but he looked like he wanted to be genuine. She'd tell him all about how stupid he was the day after. Kamala walked around the car to the driver's seat.

"Are you   sure  the secret is safe?" He said, looking at her as she entered the car. She looked at him back while putting in her keys. He looked hilarious and a little gross. "I am 100% sure," Kamala reassured him. 

"Alright, cause... I don't want Kamala to know I like her, okay?" Bruno said very worriedly.

That was definitely NOT what she was expecting. Did that mean what she thought it meant?  She'd take it the friendly way, just to be sure. "You're best friends. I'm sure she knows you like her." Kamala replied. She started the car.

"But, like, I've had a crush on her forever. She still has no idea." He said, chuckling. 

Kamala felt her cheeks heat up. "Well, I heard a rumor she likes you back."

Bruno scoffed, "Pfft. Yeah, right." 

Kamala shrugged, trying to play it cool. "I'm being serious! I think you should tell her one day."

He furrowed his eyebrows at her and thought about it. "Okay. One day." 

Kamala had found herself thrust into the world of superheroics – what originally was her biggest dream, turned out to be her living nightmare.

Being a superhero means there's bound to be bad you have to fight. She was up fighting a supervillain that went by the alias 'Kaboom'. She looked to be about her age. Kaboom could manipulate, control, and harness electricity.

The fight left her bruised, shocked (quite literally), and exhausted.

Through her pursuit of justice, she had unintentionally created problems in her tight-knit neighborhood. Electricity lines collapsing, scorch marks on buildings, and the general atmosphere of unease. The same people who supported her, now held her responsible for the troubles in their neighborhood.

She dragged herself to school, not being able to find Bruno, but instead overhearing a conversation that some of the students have.

"How am I supposed to believe she's the city's 'superhero' when she can't even stop some electro-freak?"

And another.

"No Ms. Robinson, I couldn't do the homework because the whole Kaboom incident cut my power out." 

And another. "Why does New York get all the actual good superheroes?"

And the final blow, from her own best friend, Nakia Bahadir. 

"I dunno, but this Ms. Marvel is giving us a bad rep. As if things couldn't get worse for the mosque, now there's more surveillance on us." She mentioned to Miguel.

Nakia had spotted her best friend in the corner of her eye, "KK!". She didn't bother to acknowledge her and instead briskly walked to the bathroom, overwhelmed.

"Hold on." Nakia had told Miguel, following Kamala, determined to find out what was going on.

The bathroom was empty but she still opted for the more private space. Kamala locked herself in the bathroom stall and sat on the closed toilet lid. She held her face in her hands, gently sobbing into the cuffs of her jacket.

She heard the bathroom door open and footsteps walking towards her stall. "KK?" Nakia called out to no response. 

But she could see her friend's sneakers with doodles all over them at the small opening below the stall door and knew it was her. "Are you okay?"

Kamala couldn't keep it in anymore. She had to tell someone. Her muffled voice trembled as she tried to compose herself, "Naks, I feel like I'm failing everyone." She sobbed out. 

"Oh, Kamala. Open the door." 

Kamala hesitated for a moment, wrestling with the vulnerability of unlocking the stall door. Eventually, with a shaky breath, she clicked the latch open. The door creaked as it swung ajar, revealing Kamala's tear-stained face and disheveled appearance.

Nakia's concern deepened as she took in the sight of her distressed friend.

She went down to meet Kamala's eye level. "What's going on?"

Kamala sniffled, trying to gather herself before speaking. She looked into Nakia's eyes, searching for understanding. "The more I try to do good, the more I mess things up. I just don't know if I can keep doing this." 

Nakia didn't fully understand what she was talking about but she did understand that her childhood best friend needed her support.

She wrapped her arms around Kamala, a silent reassurance exchanged in the tightness of the embrace.

Nakia gently sighed and holding her friend's shoulders, "Kamala, I wish you could see yourself the way the rest of us see you."

"If you could, you'd see that you are a radiant and amazing person. You aren't messing things up. We all stumble, but that doesn't define who you are. You're still that same incredible friend, no matter what." Kamala met Nakia's gaze, a lump forming in her throat as tears welled up. 

"I don't know what you're going through but I swear, if you need anything and everything, I am always here." Nakia continued, offering a warm and reassuring smile. Kamala pulled her back into the hug, seeking solace in her embrace.

As the weight of Nakia's words settled between them, Kamala felt the sting of guilt and the ache of a friendship hanging in the balance.